Facebooking Your Way To MBA Admission!

Social media has become an integral part of our personal as well as professional life to such an extent that it can be leveraged to work in your favour while applying for admission in MBA programs. How does one go about it?

First of all, log in to your accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+. The profiles have to be updated with information that would be relevant and interesting to any admission official seeking more information about you.

In case a cleaning up is needed in the profile information or posts, it would be a good idea to delete all the negative stuff or tweak the privacy settings to hide them.

The public space could be filled with posts about your interests, professional life and insights and what you expect from an MBA. Considering a career change after MBA, you might have been looking at inputs from that sector. So post interesting links or your own contributions by way of any presentations, articles or participation in conferences etc.

Keep everything professional and to the point. Providing details about your past jobs and how you dealt with challenges would create a positive impression.

Make sure that you are visible on the net. Do a self search and that may throw up results from your past employment to your presence on the social media.

It would be worthwhile to create a vanity URL, a customised short URL used on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. This makes it easier for people to find you and help maintain consistency across multiple platforms.

Check the profile for grammar and spelling and be as thorough as possible while completing your profile, including the profile picture.

Be aware that B-school admission officers are looking for candidates who are not only good students but great professionals and creditworthy alumni. They tend to look at the applicants through the eyes of a company recruiter who may turn up at the final placement, seeking a particular type of executive material.

Social media could also be used to follow the admission process and other details at your chosen institutes. It would be a good idea to ‘follow’ Admissions Staff but do not ‘connect’ or send friend requests lest your intentions be misinterpreted.

ALSO READ: Tackling INSEAD MBA Admission Interviews

Meanwhile, among social media sites, LinkedIn, being a career networking site, offers a better advantage over the others. It enables you to join professional groups or post articles related to the business or industry you plan to join after graduation.

Several business schools now have LinkedIn pages that could be followed to learn more about the culture, the community and other particulars that could become useful as a conversation starter during interviews.

Some of the schools also make extensive use of social media to post details about admission process and other details. These platforms could also be used by applicants to connect with the faculty, students or alumni for any sort of clarifications regarding the program or life in the campus. (Image Courtesy : pixabay.com)